Torre venere is placed at catelvenere, a small country in the province of Benevento, almost 2800 inhabitants, nestled in the suggestive landscape of telesina valley. The center is placed to 119 meters upon the level of the sea and it raises on tuffs attributable to volcanic cyclic activities of roccamorfina, of campi flegrei and of somma-vesuvio.
The collocation, the climate, the fertility of the hilly soil- rich of vines and olives trees-the natural alternation of knolls and valleys make castelvenere an important agricultural center for the production of fine wines and appreciated extravergine oil of olive.
The vegetative life of the vine, which characterize hills and plains surrounding the inhabited center of Castelvenere, it scans the life of the inhabitants of the small center. Rich of green areas and water streams, with 1010 hectares of vines soils and a annual production of wine of almost 63000 hectoliters, Castelvenere is the most vineyard country of Campania and, since 1996 is entered as a part of the national association “Città del Vino”.

Catelvenere, land of saints and witches

The origins of castelvenere go back to the prehistory, as displays the palafitte found in 1898. Different are also the witnesses of sannitic and roman age, found in different times and areas: weapons, coins, material from burial.
During the feudal period, castelvenere was subject to sanframondi, of norman origin, which dominated undisputed the telesina valley from 1130 to 1460, afterwards to monsorio, already present in the area from 1334.
Castelvenere was homeland of san barbato, who was born in VII century in the ancient land vadari nowadays foresta and was rector of morcone and bishop of benevento in 663.
The tradition attributes to san barbato the dejection of the wot tree which the famous witches of benevento gathered around.
The bishop was protagonist of the conversion of longobards to the chattolicism and of the destruction of orgiastic and pagans rites that they followed. Actually san barbato beloved protector and patron of the community of Castelvenere is honored with a celebration on 19 february every year.

From Castelvenere to the discovery of Sannio and Campania

Rich of historic witnesses of an ancient past, historic and legendary, castelvenere offers many cues to the tourist, craving to lost himself into a quiet and far world of sounds, colors, tastes of the past time. There are many holy buildings, from the central church of san Nicola to the santa maria’s churc, of byzantine origin, belonged to carafe counts, to the santa maria’s church built in 1898, placed in a territory seat of historic and prehistoric finds. There is also a historic center, with a characteristic mercato square, ancient fulcrum of the country, around which rose the first core of homes.

Mercato square, with his central well, was in ancient times used as trades and exchanges of goods and still preserves his original set. From this picturesque little square is possible to enter, through a little street, to the characteristics tuffs winery, dating to the 14-15 century and placed between mulino street and del fossato street, opened during the demonstration of winery at village: into the winery is possible to try wines from the country and deepen the history of the vines cultivation. Into the medieval village, at the ancient palazzo barone, was located the museum of farmer civilization, which preserves tools and crafts instruments used by the wines producers in order to work the grapes and preserve wines, as a demonstration of the traditional vocation of the Castelvenere’s people to the vines activities.

As a completion of the touristic proposal of Castelvenere, a forest park, Rascolagatti which, with a surface of 100 ha has his orthographic configuration and the presence of the seneta creek and tuffs rocks, it represents one of the most suggestive angles of the entire telesina valley. In a broad cultivated area to oak, delimited by a wood fence is possible to find paths and small equipped squares, object of touristic sights and adventurers to search asparagus and mushrooms, as well as seat of the traditional trip of little easter.

Many, into the park, are the plants and shrubs of different types and quality (orniello, ligustro, aceri, olmi, sambuco) luxuriant is the fauna, thanks to the respectful preservation of the environment: at rascolagatti is possible to see: hedgehogs, moles, foxes ,yews, a huge variety of birds as blackbird, titmouse, owl, minx, pheasant, sparrow, mockingbird,magpie and migratory birds as starling, thrush, tordell, woodcook and pigeon.

From Castelvenere, land of saints and legends, it can proceed with invigorated mind from the infinite and quiet succession of vines or olives fields to the discovery of sannio and Campania. The geographic collocation, indeed- far 60 km from Naples, almost 30 km from Benevento and 40 from Caserta, 3 from telese spa, few kilometers from villages of Cusano Mutri, Sant Agata dei Goti and Morcone, less then 15 km from the pottery of San Lorenzello and Cerreto Sannita and from the dinosaur Ciro di Pietraroja- it makes this sannitic country a functional and valid point of starting to the discovery of treasures of Sannio and Campania.